as we watch what's taking place on the main stage, let's do a lightning round of all our contributors. chuck todd, take on the pure politics of the speech going into the campaign. >> well, it was clearly what i would call a workman-like speech. there were different notes he wanted to hit. i was struck by how almost every romney reference, it was never romney, it was my opponent and it was usually followed by a joke or a punch line. the second of it and savannah hit this at the end, the second half of this speech was trying to deal with that enthusiasm gap. that was very clear. it was all about firing up that base, brian. >> andrea mitchell. >> brian, this was all about getting them excited. there wasn't a whole lot of new policy except on education, but certainly this was a way to rally the troops. i would say it was more prose than poetry but this is the excitement they're trying to generate. >> tom brokaw from the booth, take on foreign policy. >> four years later, barack obama has been a commander in chief and he reminded the audience of that tonight. we heard almost nothing from m